Plot to prosecute Tsvangirai exposed

Posted by on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 in Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe politics | 1 comment

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai

By Lance Guma
06 December 2011

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s office has issued a statement claiming they are aware of a plot to plant incriminating documents at his government and party offices, as a prelude to pressing criminal charges against him.

The plot is said to involve the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and two ZANU PF cabinet ministers and is also targeting other MDC-T officials. Tsvangirai’s spokesman, Luke Tamborinyoka, said the raid scheduled to take place in two weeks time would target the PM’s Charter House and Harvest House offices in Harare.

Tamborinyoka said the discovered documents will be, “used not only to prosecute the Prime Minister and some members of his leadership, but also as an excuse to pull out of the inclusive government without implementing the necessary reforms needed for a free and fair election.”

SW Radio Africa is reliably informed the two ZANU PF Ministers involved are Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and State Security Minister Sydney Sekeremayi. Chinamasa is allegedly co-ordinating the legal side of the plot, with Sekeramayi handling the security side, including the raids, initially set for 12th December.

“They are trying to find the quickest way to an election without the necessary reforms,” a source told SW Radio Africa. “If one party pulls out, it collapses the coalition and causes elections and this is what ZANU PF wants desperately. An election free of violence and rigging is not in Mugabe’s interest,” the source added.

Political commentator Dewa Mavhinga told SW Radio Africa the latest plot of ‘persecution by prosecution’ was consistent with the partisan nature of the security forces in the country and “it was inevitable they would be roped in to cause the collapse of the coalition government.” Mavhinga however said: ‘No election outside the SADC framework will bring legitimacy to ZANU PF.”

Meanwhile Tamborinyoka said Tsvangirai will institute the necessary security measures to stop the plot.

Although he did not give details of what sort of documents were to be planted, the matter gives rise to speculation Mugabe’s regime might be planning something to undermine Tsvangirai before the next election.

In 2002 a similar plot was hatched after Tsvangirai, then an opposition leader, was accused of plotting to assassinate Mugabe and arranging a military coup ahead of the March 2002 presidential election. A grainy videotape of a meeting between Tsvangirai and Canadian political consultant, Ari Ben Menashe, was used.

In his defence Tsvangirai said he had hired Ben Menashe’s firm to help with international lobbying and fundraising for his party. Not known to him was the fact that Menashe was already working for Mugabe and ZANU PF.

The case was eventually thrown out and Tsvangirai was acquitted.

  • Chimbido Warvet in the UK

    Really or is the rumour or fear mongering we have heard before? It is bizarre that they are now jittery and scared of Zanu PF and CIO when they were warned long before they signed the so-called GNU not to ever get in the same bed with these guys. When they eventually signed the agreement, they knew these guys were ruthless. A leopard does not change its spots, does it? Kunonzi kurumwa nechekuchera.